"It looked like the Steelers had upgraded their problematic running game upon selecting Rashard Mendenhall with the No. 23 pick of the 2008 draft.

Now it looks like they may have unearthed another Ricky Williams.

Despite rushing for nearly 2,400 yards and 20 touchdowns in the past two seasons, Mendenhall has unwittingly become the social conscience of the NFL - while living to regret it.

Mendenhall hasn't been accused of sexual assault or striking the mother of his son, as have two of his more celebrated teammates. But his transgression has gained as much attention.

Although well within his First Amendment rights, Mendenhall committed a no-no when he mixed politics and religion with sports.

People can forgive almost anything - Mendenhall's fourth-quarter fumble in Super Bowl XLV, for instance. But they can't - and won't - forget, not for appearing to make light of the horror and tragedy of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Champion, an athletic apparel manufacturer, didn't buy Mendenhall's explanation/apology, firing him this week after recently signing him to a four-year contract. Mendenhall had been with the company since 2008.

Is it also bye-bye Steelers for Mendenhall? Team president Art Rooney II said in a statement that "it's hard to explain or even comprehend what he means with his recent Twitter comments.''

But it's unlikely the Steelers will part ways with Mendenhall.

He has two years remaining on a $12.55 million contract featuring $7.125 million in guarantees and a total cash value of $9.855 million that can increase if he meets incentives.

Aside from the financial commitment, the Steelers would open themselves to accusations of operating under a double standard if they released Mendenhall, considering that other players remain on the roster despite their transgressions.

A bigger question is how this controversy will affect Mendenhall."